Beirut. Israel launched a series of heavy airstrikes across northeastern Lebanon’s rural villages on Friday, leaving at least 52 dead and many more wounded, according to Lebanon's Health Ministry.

In Gaza’s central region, hospital officials reported that Palestinians recovered the bodies of 25 people killed in a wave of Israeli aerial bombardments beginning Thursday.

This surge in violence unfolds as U.S. President Joe Biden's administration pushes for temporary ceasefire agreements in the days leading up to a presidential election.

Israel’s emergency response teams reported seven injuries from an attack in Tira, central Israel, early Saturday. Israel’s military noted that three projectiles had crossed from Lebanon, some of which were intercepted. The Magen David Adom emergency service stated that two of the injured were in moderate condition, with the rest sustaining lighter injuries.

Israel has escalated its campaign against Hamas in Gaza, heavily targeting the northern regions and sparking concerns over worsening conditions for civilians. In Lebanon, the offensive has expanded from smaller border villages to larger urban centers like Baalbek, home to 80,000 people, where Hezbollah has a strong presence. Hezbollah, backed by Iran, operates both as a political entity and social service provider in Lebanon and began launching rockets from Lebanon into Israel in solidarity with Hamas after the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led assault on Israel, which ignited the conflict in Gaza.

Israel’s attacks in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley on Friday killed at least 52, destroyed homes, and forced more families to flee with what little they could carry. Lebanon’s Health Ministry reported that 72 were wounded, and a Lebanese legislator representing Baalbek stated that 60,000 people have fled.

In Beirut, Israeli airstrikes struck Dahiyeh, a southern suburb, for the first time in days, driving many residents to flee. Bulldozers moved through the rubble of destroyed buildings, while Hezbollah supporters hoisted the group’s banner amid the devastation.

Since the Israel-Hezbollah conflict reignited in 2023, Lebanon's Health Ministry reports that over 2,897 people have died, with women and children comprising a quarter of the fatalities. An estimated 1.4 million people have been displaced, according to U.N. estimates.

In Gaza, Israeli strikes hit the Nuseirat refugee camp, killing at least 21 people, including young children, and additional attacks in Zuwaida and Deir al-Balah raised Gaza’s Friday death toll to 25. Israel claimed to target Hamas infrastructure near the camp and later reported killing a senior Hamas official, Izz al-Din Kassab, in an airstrike on Khan Younis.

As U.S. diplomats departed the region after talks with Israeli officials, no progress on a ceasefire was evident. On Friday, Hamas reiterated its demand for a permanent ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal, stating that Israel’s latest proposals did not meet Palestinian needs.

The conflict, ignited by Hamas’ October 7 assault, has resulted in over 43,000 Palestinian deaths, with health officials in Gaza indicating that women and children make up more than half of those killed. U.N. agencies warn of an “apocalyptic” humanitarian crisis in northern Gaza, where civilians are trapped without sufficient aid as Israel tightens its siege.

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